A Muslim police officer, who sued the New York Police Department over a policy limiting beard length allowed for religious reasons, would face irreparable harm without protection from the courts, a judge said on Thursday as he ordered the city to reinstate the officer’s pay and benefits a day after he was suspended and escorted from police headquarters.

First Post US District Judge P Kevin Castel criticised the city repeatedly before finding it was probable Officer Masood Syed would succeed and issuing a temporary restraining order that will remain in place until a 8 July hearing.

The department says it bans beards as a safety measure so gas masks fit tightly across faces but allows beards for religious reasons up to 1 millimetre in length.

The judge, who is bearded, said 1 millimetre of hair exists when a man is unshaven for a day or two. He said it seemed the policy is enforced haphazardly.

Syed said two uniformed supervisors escorted him from Manhattan NYPD headquarters where he works as a law clerk to administrative judges, sometimes preparing legal documents for the police commissioner about disciplinary issues.

Syed said he has maintained a 1-inch beard for most of his 10-year career, only occasionally drawing critical comments. He said he hoped his lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, would help over 100 police employees who find the religious exception to the department’s no-beardpolicy insufficient because they say the length of the beard allowed is not reasonable.

The judge became impatient as he questioned Fleming about the policy and the department’s failure to respond to a December 2015 request by 37 police officers for an exception to the no-beard policy.

“Let’s play 20 questions,” Castel said at one point. “The court is troubled by the fact it cannot get an answer,” he said at another.

City attorney Michael Fleming said the beard ban was necessary. Besides for religious reasons, exceptions exist for undercover duties and medical conditions.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified financial damages and a court order banning the NYPD from enforcing its beard policy until it provides reasonable religious accommodations. Occupational Health and Safety Administration regulations require annual fit-testing and prohibit respirators for employees with facial hair.

Attorney Joshua Moskovitz, representing Syed, told Castel the department’s policy violates the First Amendment and threatens Syed’s job, his retirement benefits and his reputation. He said the department took Syed’s shield and weapon Tuesday before he “was escorted out in front of his friends and colleagues.”

28 Comments

We are totally idiots to accept this shit!!! Get them out of our democratic land. They belong to the camel goat country where they can shit in the sand, This people never have anything achieved nor can grow the food what they need. What for a trash crap of human being they are!!!!
The Problem are the leftist, democrats, socialist marxist and of course the zionist finanzmaffia who beat us down and tell us we should be so tolerant!!! What for a shit.I can not eat so much then I can vomit.

Bearded Muslim firefighters …. couldn’t be ordered to go into burning buildings …. to rescue infidel children …. if their breathing apparatus doesn’t seal around the face …. and a “prayer break” could also complicate rescues …. and Ramadan fasting might make them prone to passing out ?

Police departments shouldn’t hire muslims. Nor should they be in the military. They shouldn’t even BE in America!!!! I’m SO tired of reading and watching about them, and the SHIT they’re doing and getting away with!!!! Just saw that 23% of the children in Ohio live in poverty. 1 in 4!!!! The thought of ANYONE going hungry is very upsetting. But WHY can’t the wealthy muslim countries take care of their OWN?? America can’t take care of OUR own!! But obama and hillary want MORE brought in??!!!!

If the Muslim predator police officer attacks another innocent, the victim must sue the wicked Judge for forcing the NYPD to take back the Muslim predator maliciously endangering New York City residents and tourists.

Whether it is males with islamofacist beards or fleamales with bags on their heads, those who insist on wearing the enemy’s uniform should be treated accordingly. Taxpayers should never be forced to pay wages to enemy soldiers nor placed in danger by the enemy forces being issued weapons.

As usual, the Mudslime expecting exceptions to me made for them & suing for damages. What’s wrong with this judge? Aren’t there better things to do with their money than spend it on Mudslime facial hair? And what about his missing gun? Isn’t that more important than his scummy beard?
A solution could be to make him do plenty of gas mask drills with real gas. That should solve the problem.

And if intensely hated non-Muslims don’t obey Muslims, Muslims hold Press Conferences — We’re Muslims and because we’re Muslims we should NOT have to obey infidel laws. We’ll sue you infidels and you will GIVE US MONEY! LOTS OF MONEY!

The city in 2010 paid a $250,000 settlement to a panhandler whose cheekbone was broken during a January 2009 altercation with Syed.

I suggest that the Islam-Adoring, Evil Judge, gives $250,000 of his money to the city as the Evil Judge clearly APPROVES of Violent Muslim Police attacks on non-Muslim innocents.

The WICKED MUSLIM-LOVER Judge must immediately hold a press conference and explain to our people and tourists why he wants VIOLENT MUSLIMS employed by NYPD.

The American-hater, Unjust Judge needs to have his bank account and all assets checked to see if the DIRTY TRAITOR who is Eager to endanger non-Muslims, has been gifted with a HUGE SUM OF MONEY or other very valuable assets from Saudi Arabia.

The job of the NYPD is to PROTECT innocents, NOT place innocents in danger from VIOLENT MUSLIMS Eager to Obey Quran commands to wage Jihad against hated non-Muslims.

So let me get this straight…they can be exempted from policy (which they agreed to prior to being hired) based on their religious beliefs and proclivities, but we can’t request service from a non-Muslim police officer based on their religious beliefs and proclivities. Got it…I wonder how they feel about “protecting and serving” infidels…not really…

Agree. I think they need to keep an eye on the detective. He complied with rules for years, then last fall decided he had religious rights. What changed his thinking and what else has he changed? Obama and Lynch and their “stand with the Muslim community” spew are emboldening these guys.

It is time to rewrite hiring policies. Strict separation of religious from state.
One law for all, not happy – leave or don’t apply for the job.
The same requirements for everyone. You walk in to work clean-shaven. These are the rules.
The 1mm beard is acceptable for those who have strong facial hair growth and they work long shifts, aka ‘five o’clock shadow’.
I see CAIR in this picture, a moneymaker.

Simple test issue this fool a Gas Mask and then have him put it on and adjust it for proper fit ins less then 10 Seconds, which is the Military Standard, do this in a building designed to train Police Personnel in the use of Pepper Spray and Tear Gas, at the end of ten seconds pop a tear gas grenade in the building and let him learn the hard way.